Baltimore



WILLIAM w.f v-IRDIN, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LettersiPatent lV'o. 78,557, elated June 2, 1868.

IMPROYED 'FIDE-MOTOR.

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TO' ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Beit known that I, WILLIM W. VIRDIN, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented a new and improved Tide-Motor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the improved motor.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

FigureS is a vertical central section taken through the motor.

'Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of several' water-elevating buckets, arranged upon their internallydischarging pulley.

Figure 5 is a front elevation.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

The object of this invention is to obtain motion and power sufficient, from the ebb and ilow of tides through' bayous or the mouths of inlets, to raise water to a. proper height for furnishing a supply of water at distances remote from the point at which it is raised; also, to obtain power for `driving machinery, and for other purposes.

The natureof my`invention consists in arranging a water-wheel, of suitable description, upon ailoating frame or buoy, and in ssc-constructing such buoy, and arranging it in a passage formed between two walls, that all the water entering or passing out ofan inlet shall be compelled to pass through the buoy-and act'upou the buckets of the wheel, thereby causing such wheel to rotate; and-it also consists in so contriving the buoy, and the channel into which itis arranged, that this buoy shall rise and fall with the tide, and always maintain a proper position in the water, se that no wa'ter'shall How over or beneath it.

It` also consists in the employment, inconjnnctieu with a water-wheel and loat or buoy, constructed as Will be hereinafter described, as novel means for raising water, and delivering it into a trou-gh or other conduit, whether said wheel rotates backward or forward, as will be hereinafter described. V

To enable others skilled in' the art tonnderstand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents two vertical walls, arranged parallel to each other, and con struc-ted of masonry or other material, so as to ,form a whtcrsway or passa-ge of given dimensions at or near the mouth of a bayou or inlet. v These walls may terminate at their extremities in diverging walls, so asto form a proper inlet and outlet-passage for running water. f

Between these two wallsA A, and guided by means of the oifsctsgg and the vertical transverse cut-oil1 B', is a iioat or buoy, B, which-may be constructed of wood or metal, and which ismade with bulk-head apartments ce a, and inclined water-passages 11 bras shown in figs. 2 and l This buoy is made with the bulk-head apartments afa to increase itsroating capacity, and with the bulkhead '0.1, covered by a removable or tightlyslitting cap, a2, to' admit of the use of ballast, for causing the buoy to float at any required depth in water. A water-wheel, D', is arranged in the space formed inthe topof the buoy, at the highest points of the two passages b, and constructed with radial floats, c, ina manner similar to a common form of a propellerwheel. This wheel is supported by' a horizontal shaft, D', which has'its bearings npon'the standards H H, so that it will rotate freely in either direction.l The wheel is {itted so nicely into the space formed for 'it in`thc upper side of the buoy that no material amount of water will escape over the upper side of this buoy, but all or nearly all the water will be caused to 'low through the passages b 6,' and to act upon the floats of the wheel D, as indicated `by the arrows in iig; 8.

As the tide.rises, the buoy will rise with it, but maintain itspproper d'ejpth in the water; and as vthe water cannot pass through the passage between the walls beneath the buoy, on account of'the cutfoil B', it will ilow through the'passages b b, and rotate the wheel D in one directiom When the. tide ebbs, the water will return through the passages 5b, and. rotate the wheel D in a'n opposite direction. v` r By having the cutoff B applied'to thebottomoibthe buoy, soas to work up and down ina chamber, A', it will be seen that water cannot pass in a current 'beneath the buoy,'but that thewater will iiow through passages b Zw. andwill be causedY to act upon the `wheel D, to turnit.

For the purpose of steedying the buoy-against pressure of' water, anti-friction wheels may be employed,

as shown at. C", s s, or inany other suitable manner.

I will now describe one .practical mode of-'applying the power obtainedv from a whceloperated as abovev described, and employing it fora useful purpose. To one end of the shaft of the wheel D, a' spur-wheel', E, is

keyed, which engages with a similar wheel, E', upon a shaft, G', which also has itsbearings in standards H, und which carries a flanged pulley or drum, G, shown in figs. 1,2, and 4. This drum carries a number of water elevating buckets, J, which are secured, at regular intervals apart,.upon an endless open band or chain, it, which is of such length as to carry the bucketspdown into the side chambers J', in the buoy B. .This chain orf-bandis perforated, so that it will be caught and held by the studs j, upon the four angles of tho rectangular drum G,

und thus allow this drum to carry around the buckets as itis revolved. The four sides ot the'drum Gr are perforated, as shown` at t' t', which perforations or passages lead4 into an open circular space, 7a, and the 'buckets are so applied to their belt, 7c, that, asthey ascend to their highest point, the water will -lioiv from them, through therpassages z', into said circular space, where it may be caught by a suitable trough,and conducted oil tc any desired pointy Y It will be seen, by reference to Eg. 4, that the buckets .I are constructed with chambers in both ends. This is for the purpose of causing them to elevate water from the chamber or well J, Whether the wheelD be rotated forward or backward-wvhetl1erthc tide be ebbing or flowing. Instead of employing double-chambcred buckets, single-cha`mbred buckets will answery a similar purpose by having every alternate bucket inverted, this being the equivalent of the doublechamberedbuclcet. l

When it is desired to elevate water to a considerable height, 'aiframeworl should be erected upon` the buoy, and the shaft G', with its drum G, mountedupon said frame. Inythis case, the endless belt or chain le will pass around a. large drum, fastened upon the shaftD of the water-wheel D', andthe toothed wheels will he removed. The drum last mentioned should be large enough todip into the chamber or well J.

The Water ma` be su A lied to the 4Well or wells J, throu'h valve-o enincs t" ii, throu h their bottoms, ou

yv PP c p e g both sides of the cutoff' B'. Thus the watendowing either into or outof the bayou will bo forced upward,

. through said holes, into the wells, t'o be elevated by the endless chain. or ba'nd of buckets. A

In practice, the shaft G may carry'buckets upon both extremities, and elevate water from chambers-or' wells J ou both sides of the watei-\vheel.. A

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A floating vessel or buoy, B, constructed with water-passages' through it, and provided with a cut-o, B', and a water-wheel, D, said buoy being arranged in a' suitable passage-way for water, in such manner that the '.whcel D will be caused to turn b othby the ebb and flow of the tide, substantially as described.

2. The buoy B B', constructed with bulk-head apartments, substantially in the manner and for the purposes 3. The chamber or chambers'J, in combination with a buoy, B, having an aperture orv apertures, iz', and constructed substantially as described, for the' purpose of receiving water to be raised by the4 elevator J,'substantially as described. i Y

4. The endless chain of doublc-chambered buckets, in combination with a perforated drum, G, h, t'. substuntially in the manner and for the purposes described.

A W. W. VIRDI'N.

Witnesses:

1t. T. CAMPBELL, Een'. SCHAFER.' 

